Definition of Svengali

: a person who manipulates or exerts excessive control over another.

Where did the word Svengali come from?

“one who exerts controlling or mesmeric influence on another,” 1914, from hypnotist character of that name in the novel “Trilby” (1894) by George Du Maurier.

Is Svengali a real person?

Svengali, fictional character, the villain of the romantic novel Trilby (1894) by George du Maurier. The name Svengali became synonymous with an authority figure or mentor who exerts undue, usually evil influence over another person.

Is Svengali an English word?

a person who completely dominates another, usually with selfish or sinister motives.

How do you use Svengali in a sentence?

Svengali in a Sentence
The head of the company was a svengali, he controlled all of his employees.The young leader was secretly a svengali, and no one knew they were being manipulated.He knew that the svengali wanted complete and utter control over the entire organization.

What language is the word Svengali?

Svengali in British English

(svɛnˈɡɑːlɪ ) noun. a person who controls another’s mind, usually with sinister intentions. Word origin. after a character in George Du Maurier’s novel Trilby (1894)

Is Svengali capitalized?

Svengali is still usually capitalized, though the uncapitalized form is now fairly common.

Who was the great Svengali?

Background. Svengali was based on the 1894 George du Maurier novel Trilby. The novel is titled after the story’s doomed heroine, but the character that caught the public’s attention was the villain Svengali, a Jewish hypnotist and pianist who hypnotizes Trilby into becoming a great vocalist.

Is svelte a word?

No, svelt is not in the scrabble dictionary.

What is the meaning of Pygmalion?

Definition of Pygmalion

: a king of Cyprus who makes a female figure of ivory that is brought to life for him by Aphrodite.